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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1997

Gravitational evidence for an undifferentiated Callisto

Before the arrival of the Galileo spacecraft at Jupiter, models for the interior structure of the four galilean satellites--Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto-ranged from uniform mixtures of rock and ice (that is, undifferentiated objects) or rocky cores surrounded by a mantle of water ice. Now it appears that Io has a large metallic core and that Ganymede is strongly differentiated, most probably into a three-layer structure consisting of a metallic core, a silicate mantle and a deep outer layer of ice. Direct information on the interior structure of Callisto determined from previous spacecraft fly-bys was essentially limited to an estimate of the mean density being intermediate between pure ice and pure rock. Here we report measurements of Callisto's gravitational field which reveal that, in contrast to Io and Ganymede, this galilean satellite is most probably a homogeneous object consisting of a solar mixture of 40% compressed ice and 60% rock (including iron and iron sulphide). Callisto's undifferentiated state is consistent with the apparent lack of an intrinsic magnetic field, and indicates that the outermost galilean satellite has not experienced a heating phase sufficiently high to separate its rock and metal components from the lighter ices.

unmanned↗
NASA NTRS1973

The red polar caps of Io

An excellent series of Jupiter photographs obtained on August 9, 1973 showed Io to have red-brown polar caps, with the South Cap substantially larger than the North Cap. Reproductions are shown in the color Plate. The polar caps stand out by the color contrast against a white-bluish zone of Jupiter. When projected against a brown belt, only the truncated brighter equatorial region of the satellite is seen. Some 1968 images of Io also show the color of the polar caps directly.

Minton, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The red polar caps of Io

An excellent series of Jupiter photographs obtained on August 9, 1973 showed Io to have red-brown polar caps, with the South Cap substantially larger than the North Cap. Reproductions are shown in the color Plate. The polar caps stand out by the color contrast against a white-bluish zone of Jupiter. When projected against a brown belt, only the truncated brighter equatorial region of the satellite is seen. Some 1968 images of Io also show the color of the polar caps directly.

Minton, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

An overview of software design languages

The nature and use of design languages and associated processors that are used in software development are reviewed with reference to development work on the Galileo spacecraft project, a Jupiter orbiter scheduled for launch in 1984. The major design steps are identified (functional design, architectural design, detailed design, coding, and testing), and the purpose, functions and the range of applications of design languages are examined. Then the general character of any design language is analyzed in terms of syntax and semantics. Finally, the differences and similarities between design languages are illustrated by examining two specific design languages: Software Design and Documentation language and Problem Statement Language/Problem Statement Analyzer.

Callender, E. D.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Prometheus Project final report

This Final Report serves as an executive summary of the Prometheus Project's activities and deliverables from November 2002 through September 2005. It focuses on the challenges from a technical and management perspective, what was different and innovative about this project, and identifies the major options, decisions, and accomplishments of the Project team as a whole. However, the details of the activities performed by DOE NR and its contractors will be documented separately in accordance with closeout requirements of the DOE NR and consistent with agreements between NASA and NR.

Prometheus Project↗
NASA NTRS1979

Exploring the outer planets

Initial, current and planned United States projects for the spacecraft exploration of the outer planets of the solar system are presented. Initial plans were developed in the mid-1960's for the exploration of the outer planets by utilizing the gravity-assist technique during a fortuitous alignment of the outer planets in the Grand Tour Project, however although state-of-the-art space technology could have supported the project, it was considered too expensive, therefore politically infeasible. Subsequently, the Pioneer Project was undertaken to explore the asteroid belt and the environment around Jupiter and the Voyager Project was undertaken to send two spacecraft to fly by Jupiter and utilize its gravity assist to reach Saturn. The successful Pioneer 10 and 11 missions have provided important information on the effects of the asteroid belt and the severe radiation environment around Jupiter, and Voyager 1 has collected information about Jupiter, its magnetic fields and radiation zones, and its satellites. Project Galileo is intended to be launched in January 1982 to conduct an intensive investigation of Jupiter, its satellites and immediate environment and a Saturn Orbiter dual probe mission and a Uranus orbiter are also under consideration.

Parks, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Keck Observations Confirm a Super-Jupiter Planet Orbiting M Dwarf OGLE-2005 BLG-071L

We present adaptive optics imaging from the NIRC2 instrument on the Keck II telescope that resolves the exoplanet host (and lens) star as it separates from the brighter source star. These observations yield the K-band brightness of the lens and planetary host star, as well as the lens-source relative proper motion, μ(rel,H), in the heliocentric reference frame. The μ(rel,H) measurement allows for the determination of the microlensing parallax vector, π(E), which had only a single component determined by the microlensing light curve. The combined measurements of μ(rel,H) and K(L) provide the masses of the host star, M(host) = 0.426 ± 0.037M(ʘ), and planet, m(p)=3.27±0.32M(Jupiter) with a projected separation of 3.4±0.5 au. This confirms the tentative conclusion of a previous paper that this super-Jupiter mass planet, OGLE-2005-BLG-071Lb, orbits an M dwarf. Such planets are predicted to be rare by the core accretion theory and have been difficult to find with other methods, but there are two such planets with firm mass measurements from microlensing, and an additional 11 planetary microlens events with host mass estimates <0.5M(ʘ) and planet mass estimates >2 Jupiter masses that could be confirmed by high angular follow-up observations. We also point out that OGLE-2005-BLG-071L has separated far enough from its host star that it should be possible to measure the host-star metallicity with spectra from a high angular resolution telescope such as Keck, the Very Large Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, or the James Webb Space Telescope.

David P Bennett↗
NASA NTRS1972

Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 preliminary mission design.

Current plans of NASA are to take advantage of the 1977 launch opportunity by sending a Mariner class spacecraft on a gravity assisted flyby of Jupiter which will then continue on to Saturn. The background of this Mariner Jupiter-Saturn 77 Project is reviewed and science objectives for this mission as currently adapted are given. This paper illustrates properties of the Jupiter-Saturn opportunities between 1976 and 1980 to give context to the 1977 opportunity. Details of the possibilities for the 1977 launch are shown along with constraints and example candidate trajectories. Options include close flybys and/or occultations of the satellites at Jupiter and Saturn, penetration of Saturn's rings, and various occultations of the planets. A short discussion of other factors, such as navigation and planetary quarantine (documented elsewhere) are included.

Bourke, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Comparison of Jovian and Terrestrial Lightning as Observed from Space

We compare the images of Jovian lightning taken by Galileo spacecraft with the images of terrestrial lightning observed by Lightning Imaging Spectrometer (LIS) onboard the TERRA spacecraft. Both data sets have good spatial resolution: Galileo's pixel is 25 km, or about half the atmospheric scale height, LIS pixel is 3-6 km, also about half of the scale height. This good resolution allows us to see that both Jovian and terrestrial lightning spots look diffuse because of the scattering in the clouds above. Previously we used the appearance of the diffuse spots on Jupiter to model lightning depths and the opacity and shape of the overlying clouds (Dyudina and Ingersoll, 2000). The comparison with LIS data allowed us to verify that the model is valid for terrestrial lightning. The irregular shapes of large terrestrial lightning suggests 30-km scale horizontal bolts. On Jupiter the spots, projected onto the horizontal plane, are nearly circular suggesting that the large size of the spots is mostly due to the horizontal diffusion of the photons scattered in the clouds. Unlike the Galileo observations, LIS has fine temporal resolution of 2 ms, or about 250 frames per single lightning flash. We will discuss the temporal evolution of terrestrial flashes and its implications for Jupiter.

Dyudina, Ulyana A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Photochemical Phenomenology Model for the New Millennium

The "Photochemical Phenomenology Model for the New Millennium" project tackles the issue of reengineering and extension of validated physics-based modeling capabilities ("legacy" computer codes) to application-oriented software for use in science and science-support activities. While the design and architecture layouts are in terms of general particle distributions involved in scattering, impact, and reactive interactions, initial Photochemical Phenomenology Modeling Tool (PPMT) implementations are aimed at construction and evaluation of photochemical transport models with rapid execution for use in remote sensing data analysis activities in distributed systems. Current focus is on the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) data acquired during the CASSINI flyby of Jupiter. Overall, the project has stayed on the development track outlined in the Year 1 annual report and most Year 2 goals have been met. The issues that have required the most attention are: implementation of the core photochemistry algorithms; implementation of a functional Java Graphical User Interface; completion of a functional CORBA Component Model framework; and assessment of performance issues. Specific accomplishments and the difficulties encountered are summarized in this report. Work to be carried out in the next year center on: completion of testing of the initial operational implementation; its application to analysis of the CASSINI/CIRS Jovian flyby data; extension of the PPMT to incorporate additional phenomenology algorithms; and delivery of a mature operational implementation.

Bishop, James↗